PBS will premier its new television special on August 9 entitled Trial & Heirs: Protect Your Family Fortune! The show features legacy expert attorneys Danielle and Andy Mayoras, and Ray Charles Jr. will be a special guest on the August 9 premier. A description of the television special is below:

Danielle and Andy Mayoras, authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!, a book on celebrity estate battles, are hitting the TV airwaves with their own entertaining and informative PBS television special. The husband-and-wife duo are legacy expert attorneyswho delight audiences nationwide, with highly entertaining and informative presentations, dishing the dirt on celebrity estate battles while dispensing important legal information to help people avoid family fights among their heirs.

Trial & Heirs: Protect Your Family Fortune! premieres on Tuesday August 9 at 8 p.m. EST and will air nationally in December. There will also be a live broadcast on August 9th via Ustream.tv, which can be accessed through the website www.trialandheirs.com/tv-special, allowing viewers all across the nation to have access to the premiere.

Like the book, Trial & Heirs: Protect Your Family Fortune! uses high-profile celebrity stories, such as those of Sonny Bono, Marlon Brando, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson and James Brown, to educate people about wills, trusts and estate planning.

Danielle and Andy Mayoras have appeared on the Rachael Ray Show, Forbes, ABC’s Live Well Network, NBC and Fox affiliates and have lent their expertise and analysis to hundreds of media sources, including The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Kiplinger, The Washington Post and The Huffington Post.

Their own show was filmed in front of a live studio audience, and includes an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with Ray Charles, Jr. who contacted the couple after their book was released in 2009. Ray is among a number of celebrity heirs who have communicated with the Mayorases because of their expertise in legacy matters.

In the TV special, Ray Charles, Jr. shares some poignant memories of his famous father as well as the private pain that his father’s estate has caused his family. Ray’s full interview, including some never-before-told stories, will be available as one of the DVD extras.

“Our goal is to use celebrity stories to get families talking about the sometimes uncomfortable subjects of wills and trusts to motivate them to do this critical planning,” explained Danielle Mayoras. “We are also thrilled that our TV special will help raise money to support the wonderful cause of public television which needs pledge donations now more than ever with federal funding cuts.”

Her husband Andy, a successful probate lawyer, added: “Estate fights don’t just happen to the rich and famous. As a litigator I have seen firsthand how families are torn apart due to poor or incomplete planning on the part of their deceased relative. Danielle and I hope our new TV special will help families avoid this pain in the future.” With different pledge amounts, viewers can receive the DVD of the show with extra features from the Mayorasesas well as the full interview with Ray, a copy of the book Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! and Danielle and Andy’s new Estate Planning Organizer which is essential for every family.